Large Hydrogen Isotope Fractionation Distinguishes Nitrogenase-Derived Methane from Other Methane Sources

Author:

Luxem Katja E.12ORCID,Leavitt William D.345,Zhang Xinning12ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

2. Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

3. Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

4. Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

5. Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

Abstract

All forms of life require nitrogen for growth. Many different kinds of microbes living in diverse environments make inert nitrogen gas from the atmosphere bioavailable using a special enzyme, nitrogenase. Nitrogenase has a wide substrate range, and, in addition to producing bioavailable nitrogen, some forms of nitrogenase also produce small amounts of the greenhouse gas methane. This is different from other microbes that produce methane to generate energy. Until now, there was no good way to determine when microbes with nitrogenases are making methane in nature. Here, we present an isotopic fingerprint that allows scientists to distinguish methane from microbes making it for energy versus those making it as a by-product of nitrogen acquisition. With this new fingerprint, it will be possible to improve our understanding of the relationship between methane production and nitrogen acquisition in nature.

Funder

National Science Foundation

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Simons Foundation

Princeton | Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University

Dartmouth College

Publisher

American Society for Microbiology

Subject

Ecology,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,Food Science,Biotechnology

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